Pizza Dough Recipes

Pizza one of my favorite foods. There are so many versions and ways to prepare it. With tomato sauce, a rich garlic sauce white pizza, margarita style pizza. Just to name a few and so many toppings to choose from. Also you can make pizza fritte ( fried dough), calzones, stromboli. This versatile dough will get you making all of those and more so read on!

Margarita Pizza (shown in pictures above) Fresh Tomato and mozzarella, slices of fresh garlic, sprinkle with oregano and top with fresh basil drizzled with olive oil. You can add anything you like in spices, this is the traditional way I like spinach or escarole on mine.

4 1/2 cups all purpose flour 1 pk dry yeast dissolved in 2 cups warm water1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar4 tablespoons olive oilMix until forms a ball, knead until smooth and elastic, add more flour if dough is sticky , this should not be dry but firm until a ball forms. Rise in a bowl covered with a wet towel, until doubled in size in warm spot, away from draft.... stretch out on a large cookie sheet. Brush top with olive oil, top with tomato sauce, cheese and any other meat toppings of choice suggestions: sausage, peperoni, mushroom, peppers, olives, (ham, pineapple),( spinach, broccoli, ricotta, garlic ), sliced tomatoes and feta cheese, or any combo of your choice .... Bake until crisp and brown on 430 degrees, keep checking for desired crispiness......

Variations: Take 2 to 3 tablespoons of dough depending how big you want these, and make doughnut shaped rings, or solid shape depending on what you like. Place on waxed paper let rest about 15 minutes. Fry in deep, hot oil. While warm, traditional Italian Zeppole, fried dough and what we bought at the feast in Upstate N.Y. you would shake or sprinkle with powdered sugar, regular sugar or cinnamon sugar... taste the best eating while still hot.....see video. My kids loved to spread peanut butter and cinnamon sugar on them not the traditional way to eat them!

Sausage roll or loaded with options below1 lb of fresh pizza/ bread dough1 1/2 lbs of Italian sausage cooked and casing off cooled4 eggs2 cups of mozzarella4 tablespoons of grated cheese or more to taste1/2 teaspoon garlic powder1/4 teaspoon oregano1/4 teaspoon black pepperMix sausage ,eggs, spices and cheeses in a bowl set in refrigerator.Roll out dough about 1/4 inch thickness into approximately 12 x 12 rectangular. Spread mixture over the dough, roll up and place seam down on cookie sheet, place in a warm area, to rise around an hour. Brush tops with egg whites. Bake at 450 for 10 minutes and lower to 375 degrees for the remaining time. Sausage roll is done when crispy and brown. Slice and enjoy. You can make individual mini ones as well using a handful of dough for each one.Variations:Add to sausage omit the eggs, add mozzarella cheese, grated cheese and spices along with any combo below. These are called adding the ricotta cheese in the pocket. Calzones. Stomboli is with meats, peppers, mushrooms, chopped tomatoes, black or green olives, onions, mortadella, salami prosciutto .... If using vegetables saute' vegetables with sausage and drain (always cook raw meats). You can also add Ricotta cheese, fresh chopped parsley, basil, chopped tomato, fresh garlic chopped, greens like spinach or escarole. You can also add ham and mozzarella, ricotta with grated cheese into the dough to make a cheese and meat Calzone. You can also substitute Pepperoni for Sausage.

Top generously with mozzarella shredded cheese and bake in a hot oven of 430 degree preheated hot oven and bake until browned.

Optional: 1/2 cup of whole milk ricotta cheese mixed with 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, place random spoonfuls over the pizza before topping with mozzarella cheeseIf you would like to make focaccia bread dough click here

Cooking has been my passion since I was 11 years old with a fantastic mom and grandma who taught me. I love to blog about Italian food. Do hangouts with my son and the great plussers on Google+. Love to take photo's of food and write about it. I play and taught piano, fish and love to visit new exciting places . I am blessed with a wonderful husband, two sons and a loving family. 2017 Cookbook offer on my webpage Come visit me @ http://www.whatscookinitalianstylecuisine.com/

I have been looking for a good pizza dough recipe for a while now. I like the fact that yours keeps it very simple. I will let you know how it comes out when I try it. I also love all the suggestion you gave things you can use the dough for.